Planting Redbud Trees
Every year, I always plant a collection of interesting and beautiful trees. It is such a joy to watch the gardens, groves, and allées evolve and expand around my Bedford, New York farm.
If you follow my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48, you may know I recently purchased several Cercis canadensis 'Merlot' trees, or eastern redbuds - the state tree of Oklahoma. I bought them while on a business trip in Tulsa from Stringer Nursery, the city's oldest garden center. These trees are native to eastern North America and will do just fine planted at the edge of my Japanese Maple Woodland where a few others have thrived for years.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Cercis canadensis ‘Merlot’ displays lovely pea-like bright pink flowers held in clusters that cover the tree’s bare branches in spring before the foliage emerges.
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- Then, the tree shows off small, heart-shaped shiny wine-red leaves through summer. The leaves of this young specimen are still small, but when the tree is mature, the leaves will be about two to five inches long.
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- Phurba digs the appropriate sized hole for the redbud tree. A crucial step in growing healthy trees is to plant them at the proper depth. Planting a tree too deep can kill it. Plant it only at its flare – the bulge just above the root system where the roots begin to branch away from the trunk. Digging a wide planting hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment.
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- Phurba sprinkles a generous amount of fertilizer into the hole and the surrounding soil. This fertilizer contains endo- and ecto mycorrhizae to help promote faster establishment, deeper roots, and superior soil structure. It is very important to feed the plants and trees, especially when they are transplanted.
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- Next, Phurba scarifies the roots of the tree. Scarifying stimulates root growth. Essentially, Phurba breaks up small portions of the root ball to loosen the roots a bit and create some beneficial injuries. This helps the plant become established more quickly in its new spot.
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- The tree is placed into the hole and then checked to be sure it is at the right depth.
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- Phurba also makes sure the tree is straight and its best side is facing the carriage road. The eastern redbud is a compact deciduous tree with an upright, dense, vase-shaped growing habit when mature. It grows best in full sun to partial shade where it can get at least six hours of good light per day. It also prefers well-drained soil with consistent moisture.
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- Finally, the hole is backfilled and tamped down lightly to establish good contact between the soil and the plant root ball. The area is then groomed with a soft rake, so the soil is neat and tidy around the tree.
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- Each of my four new redbud trees is also staked with tall bamboo. Phurba makes sure the stake is secured into the soil at least a couple feet deep.
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- Brian follows up with twine to secure the bamboo to the tree. Notice how the twine is tied – I always teach every member of the crew to twist the twine before knotting, so the tree or vine or cane is not crushed or strangled.
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- I like to tie the twine in a figure-eight formation. Each piece is tied just tight enough to keep the tree secure, but not break it.
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- The bark of the eastern redbud starts smooth and brown. Later, it will be ridged and furrowed to scaly and dark gray.
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- But notice how the stem grows – in a zig-zag alternating growth pattern.
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- I can’t wait to see all of these trees flourish. I hope this inspires you to go out this weekend and enjoy some of the trees near your home, or plant a tree in your backyard.
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- Below the trees is a carpet of native marsh marigold foliage. The leaves are slightly toothed and kidney-shaped. From a distance, they appear round, but each one has a deep cut where the stem attaches at the bottom of the leaf.
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- The flowers of marsh marigold are yellow. Marsh marigold is a perennial herb in the buttercup family, also known as cowslip, cowflock, or kingcup.
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- And look what else is growing here – galanthus, or snowdrop. These plants have two wing-like linear leaves and a single small white drooping bell-shaped flower with six petal-like tepals in two circles. The smaller inner petals have green markings.
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- Nearby is a swath of blue – a grouping of naturalized Siberian squill. Native to Russia, these plants grow to about four to eight inches tall, but they make up for their diminutive size by spreading out and blooming profusely. We planted a lot of squill here last fall.
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- There are also patches of bold green daffodil foliage. The daffodils are growing so beautifully this season.
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- They are beginning to open everywhere. I will be sure to share lots of photos of the daffodils all around the farm when they’re all in bloom. Spring is definitely here.
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